Heather R
@kiwienzian.bsky.social
Aotearoa; founder of Just Kai (justkai.org.nz); sustainability; chronic illness; she/her. I long for a world where everyone has the same opportunities I have.
A busy but satisfying day today, getting ready to talk about slave-free food for JustKai.org.nz at the Grey Lynn Park Festival next weekend :-)
November 14, 2025 at 8:12 AM
A busy but satisfying day today, getting ready to talk about slave-free food for JustKai.org.nz at the Grey Lynn Park Festival next weekend :-)
That's so fun!
It's late spring here and flowers are everywhere - here are pink daisies and a dahlia that were given to me by my SIL as a housewarming gift; ornathagulum from bulbs my aunty gave me from ones she got from my Gran's garden; and oxeye daisies in our kitchen - they grow wild everywhere!
It's late spring here and flowers are everywhere - here are pink daisies and a dahlia that were given to me by my SIL as a housewarming gift; ornathagulum from bulbs my aunty gave me from ones she got from my Gran's garden; and oxeye daisies in our kitchen - they grow wild everywhere!
November 8, 2025 at 5:46 AM
That's so fun!
It's late spring here and flowers are everywhere - here are pink daisies and a dahlia that were given to me by my SIL as a housewarming gift; ornathagulum from bulbs my aunty gave me from ones she got from my Gran's garden; and oxeye daisies in our kitchen - they grow wild everywhere!
It's late spring here and flowers are everywhere - here are pink daisies and a dahlia that were given to me by my SIL as a housewarming gift; ornathagulum from bulbs my aunty gave me from ones she got from my Gran's garden; and oxeye daisies in our kitchen - they grow wild everywhere!
I've finished the hats I've been making for my neighbours' twin babies. Now need to get over my cold so I can go and meet them! I've got Bill the Cat modelling one in the meantime :-)
November 5, 2025 at 6:29 AM
I've finished the hats I've been making for my neighbours' twin babies. Now need to get over my cold so I can go and meet them! I've got Bill the Cat modelling one in the meantime :-)
Glorious summer weather in Tāmaki Makaurau today :-)
November 3, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Glorious summer weather in Tāmaki Makaurau today :-)
Gorgeous!
Earlier this week I was amazed to find two HUGE bird of paradise bushes blooming near my new apartment - tucked behind some other bushes on public land where I assume they self-seeded. I've been delighting in these three all week :-)
Earlier this week I was amazed to find two HUGE bird of paradise bushes blooming near my new apartment - tucked behind some other bushes on public land where I assume they self-seeded. I've been delighting in these three all week :-)
October 31, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Gorgeous!
Earlier this week I was amazed to find two HUGE bird of paradise bushes blooming near my new apartment - tucked behind some other bushes on public land where I assume they self-seeded. I've been delighting in these three all week :-)
Earlier this week I was amazed to find two HUGE bird of paradise bushes blooming near my new apartment - tucked behind some other bushes on public land where I assume they self-seeded. I've been delighting in these three all week :-)
Yesterday I spotted two huge bird of paradise bushes near our new place. I suspect they were self-seeded as they were tucked away behind some other bushes on public land. I'm very much enjoying the three blooms I picked - the middle one was a bud picked in error, but it's started to open already.
October 28, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Yesterday I spotted two huge bird of paradise bushes near our new place. I suspect they were self-seeded as they were tucked away behind some other bushes on public land. I'm very much enjoying the three blooms I picked - the middle one was a bud picked in error, but it's started to open already.
@birdandbeach.bsky.social what a delightful surprise and honour!
October 28, 2025 at 4:29 AM
@birdandbeach.bsky.social what a delightful surprise and honour!
A bit later than usual due to moving house (we aim for late September), but 2025's Christmas cakes are out of the oven :-)
October 18, 2025 at 5:48 AM
A bit later than usual due to moving house (we aim for late September), but 2025's Christmas cakes are out of the oven :-)
We've recently moved ad today I went for a wander in my nearest park, Chalmers Reserve. I was delighted to discover a lovely bushy glade that was a great spot for a think :-) I was less delighted to discover and remove a bunch of rubbish - including 6 disposable nappies :-(
October 6, 2025 at 7:07 AM
We've recently moved ad today I went for a wander in my nearest park, Chalmers Reserve. I was delighted to discover a lovely bushy glade that was a great spot for a think :-) I was less delighted to discover and remove a bunch of rubbish - including 6 disposable nappies :-(
Glad you're on the mend. I've been away for a few days and came back to my coelogyne cristata orchids all in flower :-) I've left two in the bathroom and moved one into my bedroom.
August 2, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Glad you're on the mend. I've been away for a few days and came back to my coelogyne cristata orchids all in flower :-) I've left two in the bathroom and moved one into my bedroom.
So good! Swimming in the sea is my absolute favourite thing :-) (At Pt Chev a few weeks' back)
July 27, 2025 at 1:45 AM
So good! Swimming in the sea is my absolute favourite thing :-) (At Pt Chev a few weeks' back)
The first orchid flower is open :-)
July 26, 2025 at 8:10 PM
The first orchid flower is open :-)
Very excited to see all my coelogyne cristata orchids have developed flower spikes! I divided my original plant into four last year (of which three took), and expected the babies not to flower for a few years. So pleased to be wrong! Second image is the parent plant in bloom a year ago.
July 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Very excited to see all my coelogyne cristata orchids have developed flower spikes! I divided my original plant into four last year (of which three took), and expected the babies not to flower for a few years. So pleased to be wrong! Second image is the parent plant in bloom a year ago.
Sorry you have Covid! Get well soon.
Here's some native New Zealand manuka flowers. Early colonists valued the plant for the tea they made from the leaves, but now they're mostly prized for their flowers and as a quick-growing native when you want to regenerate native bush (as was happening here).
Here's some native New Zealand manuka flowers. Early colonists valued the plant for the tea they made from the leaves, but now they're mostly prized for their flowers and as a quick-growing native when you want to regenerate native bush (as was happening here).
July 5, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Sorry you have Covid! Get well soon.
Here's some native New Zealand manuka flowers. Early colonists valued the plant for the tea they made from the leaves, but now they're mostly prized for their flowers and as a quick-growing native when you want to regenerate native bush (as was happening here).
Here's some native New Zealand manuka flowers. Early colonists valued the plant for the tea they made from the leaves, but now they're mostly prized for their flowers and as a quick-growing native when you want to regenerate native bush (as was happening here).
I have a silk skirt that's strained at the seam, leading to rips I can't mend conventionally so I'm having a go at #sashiko #VisibleMending. I'm probably going to do the hemp flower all around, but for now I've just put that where it most needs strengthening. Will do more if it holds up to wearing!
June 12, 2025 at 5:37 AM
I have a silk skirt that's strained at the seam, leading to rips I can't mend conventionally so I'm having a go at #sashiko #VisibleMending. I'm probably going to do the hemp flower all around, but for now I've just put that where it most needs strengthening. Will do more if it holds up to wearing!
It was yum! nd not hard, although mine was a bit time-consuming as I modified the recipe to use lievito madre instead of normal yeast as I wanted to try using that in a cake. heresthedish.com/2021/05/23/y... (with thanks to @gtiso.bsky.social for how to make lievito madre - on Twitter a while back)
June 10, 2025 at 8:07 AM
It was yum! nd not hard, although mine was a bit time-consuming as I modified the recipe to use lievito madre instead of normal yeast as I wanted to try using that in a cake. heresthedish.com/2021/05/23/y... (with thanks to @gtiso.bsky.social for how to make lievito madre - on Twitter a while back)
I completed a bowl cover (to use in place of gladwrap when taking a 'plate' to something) for my friend's 50th birthday present. It's embroidered with sashiko (rice flower stitch for the wide band, my own pōhutukawa design in the middle) and I'm super-pleased with how it turned out :-)
May 26, 2025 at 5:29 AM
I completed a bowl cover (to use in place of gladwrap when taking a 'plate' to something) for my friend's 50th birthday present. It's embroidered with sashiko (rice flower stitch for the wide band, my own pōhutukawa design in the middle) and I'm super-pleased with how it turned out :-)
2. I've embroidered a waterproof #sashiko bowl cover (to use instead of gladwrap) for a friend's 50th birthday. Finsihed yesterday, birthday was today - phew!. It has a border of rice flower stitch, with my own pōhutukawa design in the centre, and is lined with fabric from a ruined tent.
May 24, 2025 at 8:23 AM
2. I've embroidered a waterproof #sashiko bowl cover (to use instead of gladwrap) for a friend's 50th birthday. Finsihed yesterday, birthday was today - phew!. It has a border of rice flower stitch, with my own pōhutukawa design in the centre, and is lined with fabric from a ruined tent.
Today I'm celebrating two very different achievements:
1. After 6+ hours of v. physical work over several months, I've removed a huge pile of composting mulch that was infested with kikuyu - and now have a clear garden bed, 7 bags of kikuyu to go to the transfer station and 7 bags of compost for me.
1. After 6+ hours of v. physical work over several months, I've removed a huge pile of composting mulch that was infested with kikuyu - and now have a clear garden bed, 7 bags of kikuyu to go to the transfer station and 7 bags of compost for me.
May 24, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Today I'm celebrating two very different achievements:
1. After 6+ hours of v. physical work over several months, I've removed a huge pile of composting mulch that was infested with kikuyu - and now have a clear garden bed, 7 bags of kikuyu to go to the transfer station and 7 bags of compost for me.
1. After 6+ hours of v. physical work over several months, I've removed a huge pile of composting mulch that was infested with kikuyu - and now have a clear garden bed, 7 bags of kikuyu to go to the transfer station and 7 bags of compost for me.
It's autumn here and there aren't many flowers at the moment, but I'm excited by signs of flowers to come: my freisias, hyacinths and ornithagulum are all sprouting. The ornithagulum is new to me - a gift from my aunty of bulbs from my late Gran's garden :-)
May 17, 2025 at 12:05 AM
It's autumn here and there aren't many flowers at the moment, but I'm excited by signs of flowers to come: my freisias, hyacinths and ornithagulum are all sprouting. The ornithagulum is new to me - a gift from my aunty of bulbs from my late Gran's garden :-)
My popcorn cactus is flowering :-)
May 3, 2025 at 4:24 AM
My popcorn cactus is flowering :-)
These two are some kind of Suillus mushrooms, but I'm not 100% sure which kind. I had some excellent Suillus mushrooms in Pennsylvania years' ago, and it seems all the Suillus ones found in Aotearoa are edible, so I'm wondering about heading back and seeing if there's more.
May 1, 2025 at 6:39 AM
These two are some kind of Suillus mushrooms, but I'm not 100% sure which kind. I had some excellent Suillus mushrooms in Pennsylvania years' ago, and it seems all the Suillus ones found in Aotearoa are edible, so I'm wondering about heading back and seeing if there's more.
Lots of interesting mushrooms at Heron Park today!
May 1, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Lots of interesting mushrooms at Heron Park today!
Christ is Risen! Happy Easter!
April 19, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Christ is Risen! Happy Easter!
Here's a couple more pics - the one on the left is the same one and lives outside; the one on the right lives inside and has become much more leggy. The indoor one 'moves' incredibly quickly - I turn it every day or two but it's basically always at a sharp angle stretching towards the sun.
April 19, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Here's a couple more pics - the one on the left is the same one and lives outside; the one on the right lives inside and has become much more leggy. The indoor one 'moves' incredibly quickly - I turn it every day or two but it's basically always at a sharp angle stretching towards the sun.